How to Dry Fresh Mint for Drinks, Desserts & Savory Recipes
Learn how to dry fresh mint using a simple step-by-step oven method. Preserve garden mint for drinks, desserts, savory recipes, and year-round pantry uses.
Servings 16 oz
Equipment
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
- 16 oz Glass jar with lid
- 12 inches Twine
Ingredients
- 8 cups Fresh mint stems and leaves
- 6 cups Water
Instructions
- Gathering the mint with the longest stems possible, without pulling up the roots, offers plenty of flavor for both cooking, and to infuse flavor while grilling by using the stalks in the fire, once the leaves have been stripped.
- Immerse the mint in water and rinse the water several times. There is often sand and dirt in the mint.
- Lay the washed mint out on towels to absorb the water. Allow the towels to absorb excess water before moving on to the drying process.Removing surface moisture helps prevent steaming in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 175. Line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper.Spread the mint in a single layer.Avoid piling the leaves, as good airflow promotes even drying.
- Spread the mint onto the prepared cookie sheets. Place in the oven for 10-minutes, turn off the oven and leave the mint in the oven for several hours.
- Remove the mint from the oven and allow it to sit out overnight.
- The mint should now be dried and crisp enough to strip all the leaves from the stalks. Crush the dried leaves by hand.
- Store in a glass jar with a lid.
- Gather the stalks stripped of leaves, and tie twine around them to be used in the grill to impart flavor while cooking or in the fireplace for aromatherapy.
Notes
Dried mint will keep for a year, once dried properly.
If the mint is not dried enough to be crisp and crunchy to the touch, allow it to finish drying completely, otherwise whatever moisture remaining in the leaves will form mold in the glass jar and spread to the other leaves.